The present invention relates in general to electronic color printing of images contained in a filmstrip, and more particularly to optimization of process functions of electronic color printing based on information data, of images to be printed, obtained during a low resolution prescan of such images.
Electronic printing, such as electrophotographic reproduction, by an apparatus for photofinishing of images contained in an original filmstrip (e.g., a 35 mm color negative filmstrip) has been shown and described in Jamzadeh et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,026, issued Aug. 13, 1991. Such apparatus operates to sequentially scan the respective image frames of an original filmstrip and produce, by an electrophotographic process, full color prints on a non-photosensitive print receiver sheet. In the electrophotographic process, a set of color separation marking particle images (e.g., cyan, magenta, and yellow) are formed on a reusable photoconductive recording member, one set for each of the respective original image frames on the filmstrip. The set of color separation marking particle images are transferred in register to a print receiver sheet to form the desired full color print.
With electrophotographic reproduction, in order to facilitate handling of the print receiver sheets, as well as to enhance the efficiency of the overall print-making process, each print receiver sheet is considerably larger than the commonly desired sizes of photographic prints. Several color prints are formed on each receiver sheet. For example, assuming a print receiver sheet having a size (in inches) of 12.times.18, it is disclosed in the aforementioned '026 patent that nine 4.times.6 prints be produced on the receiver sheet in a three-by-three, two dimensional array. This three-by-three array, referred to as a "9-up" format, would be a desirable format due to the current popularity of photographic prints of this 4.times.6 inch size. In the event larger prints are desired (e.g., 5.times.7 inch prints), four of such prints may be formed on a print receiver sheet of this size in a two-by-two, or "four-up", format. After forming multiple images on the print receiver sheet, the receiver sheet is then cut by any well known cutting and slitting apparatus to provide the smaller size prints or "snapshots".
It has been found that when multiple prints are produced on a receiver sheet in the above-described manner there are certain conditions imposed on the electronic printing process which may have an adverse effect on the quality of the completed prints. A prime contributor to the adverse effects relates to the cumulative nature of particular scene contents of the images from which the prints are to be reproduced.
Scene content is either directly or indirectly related to photoconductive recording member stress, consumption of pigmented marking particles, and thermal requirements for transfer and fusing. As such, repetitive similar scene contents, reproduced on a large size print receiver sheet in the manner described above, may repeatedly stress the photoconductive recording member in a particular area for example. This may result in undue stress being placed on the photoconductive recording member causing its useful life to be reduced to levels which are so low as to adversely impact the economic viability of the electronic printing process. Further, reproduction of such repetitive similar scene contents may cause high localized, or irregular, consumption of the pigmented marking particles used to develop the images. This can result in localized or premature marking particle depletion which can cause insufficient development of subsequent print productions. Additionally, differing scene contents and/or the number of printable frames on each filmstrip may result in irregular thermal requirements for transfer and/or fusing in the printing process. This can have an adverse effect on process timing for transfer and fusing, and on power consumption. As a result, incomplete transfer and/or fusing of the images may occur causing the produced prints to be of an unacceptable quality.